MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — The sixth annual Kansas State University’s Department of Grain Science and Industry awards luncheon and banquet was April 23. The luncheon honored outstanding alumni and also the service award recipients. There were four outstanding alumni who were recognized along with three outstanding service awardees.

Following the luncheon, a student scholarship and awards banquet took place during the evening. 

Students in the Department of Grain Science and Industry were recognized for their accomplishments in the program. Faculty and staff members recognized the contributions of undergraduate programs, graduate programs, student clubs, and faculty and staff. A full list of the awardees is below. 

• Bill Barr, a 1967 graduate of the department in what was then called Feed Technology, Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, Barr joined his father’s business, Bradley Barr and Company and became president in 1972; the business name changed to Bill Barr and Company. The business still operates out of Overland Park. Barr has served as the president of the Kansas Grain and Feed Association and also served as president of the Kansas City Feed Club. During his membership in the National Feed Ingredients Association, he served on the board of directors and became chairman of the board for 2011-12. He has also served on the Grain Science and Industry Advisory Council, has been appointed as co-chair for the College of Agriculture Vision 2025 fundraising initiative, and was named the 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Awardee in the College of Agriculture. 

• Charlie Fahrenholz, received his master’s degree and Ph.D from the department in 1983 and 1989 respectively. Fahrenholz is the director of Global Formulation Development for the Phibro Animal Health Corp. He has employed both undergraduate and graduate students since 2012 and has helped to create a Phibro scholarship for undergraduate students in the Feed Science and Management program. 

• Dave Pfefer, received his bachelor’s degree in Bakery Science and Management in 1970. Pfefer is the general manager at Advanced Food Services, Inc., in Lenexa, Kansas, U.S. He has been the treasurer for the KSU bakery science alumni organization for over 25 years and is a member of the KSU Alumni Association. Pfefer is also a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, American Association of Cereal Chemists and the American Society of Baking.

• Venkat Reddy, earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1969, master’s degree in milling science in 1982, and a Ph.D in grain sciences in 1996 from Kansas State University. Reddy recently retired from General Mills, Inc. as senior technology manager after 16 years of service. Reddy served on the faculty for the Department of Grain Science and Industry from 1989-97. He has also served as a consultant to USAID and the World Bank through KSU’s Food and Feed Grain Institute. In 2012, for only the 19th time in the 116-year history of the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM), the Gold Medal Award was presented to Reddy in honor of his work in the industry as well as his countless hours of work on the revision of the IAOM correspondence course. In 2013, Reddy was appointed adjunct professor in the Department of Grain Science and Industry and became a member of the KSU graduate faculty. In early 2014, he became the managing technical director of the USAID-funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss, which is housed in the IGP Institute.

• William Nelson, vice-president for corporate citizenship for CHS Inc. and president of the CHS Foundation. Under his leadership, the CHS Foundation made a $250,000 donation in support of the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center. The CHS Foundation has provided $10,000 in annual support of the department’s study abroad trips since 2011. As a part of a $3 million agricultural safety and health initiative, the CHS Foundation donated $500,000 to the GEAPS Foundation.

• Rene Steiner, president of Buhler North America since 2005. He has over 40 years of experience within Buhler. As the chief executive officer for the North American operation, he is responsible for the long-term strategy established by the Buhler corporate office. In support of the milling industry, he has also served on the industry advisory board of the Northern Crops Institute. The company has established the Buhler Instructor of Milling faculty position. Additionally, Buhler pays for the tuition of a KSU milling student selected to study one semester at the Swiss Milling School.  

• Ron Stevenson, came to work in the Department of Grain Science and Industry in 1978 as a classified employee. Stevenson worked as a mill technician for instructors, maintaining lab equipment and assisting students in undergraduate labs and graduate research projects. He helped maintain the outdoor marquee welcoming visitors to the department as well as keeping the flowers alive around it. 

Outstanding Senior Awards: Sam Cook, Feed Science and Management; Jodi Roberts, Milling Science and Management; Emily Jackson, Neal Drabbe Outstanding Bakery Science and Management Senior

Other Awards: 

Sam Cook, Dr. Dick Hahn Leadership Award

Ira Parsons, Max Straube Outstanding Junior in Feed Science and Management

College of Agriculture Ambassadors:

Ashley O’Neil, Bakery Science and Management 

Amanda Dainton, Feed Science and Management 

Karl Janke, Milling Science and Management 

Emily Jackson, Bakery Science and Management

Outstanding Graduate Student Awards, Sponsored by Ingredion: Abhay Patwa (MS), Kyle Probst (PhD)

Anheuser-Busch Company Scholarship: Michael Joseph (PhD)

Rene Buhler Memorial Scholarship: Jennifer Frederick (PhD)

Cain Land and Grain Value Added Agriculture Scholarship: Johnny Wilson (PhD), Grace Bokelman (MS)

Ming Long-Liao & Paul A. Seib Achievement Award: Yixing Zhang (PhD)

Lola Lee Jackson Animal Welfare Travel Award: Deanna Scheff (PhD), Kaliramesh Siliveru (PhD)

Majel MacMasters Memorial Award: Yadhu Guragain (PhD)

Dr. C.E. Walker International Graduate Student Fellowship: Jingwen Xu (MS), Zhenhua Sun (PhD)

Paul A. Seib Graduate Student Fellowship: Meng Xue (PhD)

K-State Alumni Association Graduate Student Award for Service & Leadership: Kyle Probst (PhD)

KSURF Stipend Supplement for Innovation Excellence: Jennifer Frederick (PhD)

Timothy R. Donoghue Graduate Student Scholarship: Orelia Dann (PhD), Deanna Scheff (PhD), Roger Cochrane (MS)

K-State International Coordinating Council Scholarship: Yadhu Gurajain (PhD)

AACC International Foundation Graduate Fellowship: Oscar Ramos (PhD), Juhui Jeong (MS)

2013 AACC International Engineering & Processing Divison Best Student Paper Award: Pavan Harshit Manepalli (MS)

Graduate Student Council Travel Award: Abhay Patwa (MS)

USDA National Needs Graduate Student Fellowships: Jennifer Frederick (PhD), Deanna Scheff (PhD), Sarah Byington (MS)

Distillers Grains Technology Council (DGTC): Kaliramesh Siliveru (PhD)

Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre Ph.D. Fellowship: Benjamin Plumier (PhD)

ASABE Section Young Member of the Year Award: Josephine Boac

PST Council Summit Travel Award: Young Hui Li

K-State Research Forum: Johnny Wilson (PhD)

2nd place in Agricultural Sciences Oral Presentation Session: “Nutritional enhancement of dried distiller’s grains with solubles vis sporoboomyces roseus fermentation,” Kyle Probst (PhD)

2nd place in Agricultural Sciences Poster Session: “Utilization of Hemicellulose-rich biomass feedstocks for the production of single cell oils,” Jennifer Frederick (PhD)

3rd place in Interdisciplinary Oral Presentation Session: “Characterizing the effectiveness of commercial heat treatments”

Commerce Bank Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award: Subramanyam Bhadriraju 

College of Agriculture David Mugler Teaching Award: Dave Krishock

Jim and Carol Brown Associate Professor in Feed Technology: Charles Stark 

The Andersons Cereal & Oilseeds/ NC 213 Early in Career Award: Kingsly Ambrose

AACCI Board of Directors: Jon Faubion

2014 ASABE Best Paper Award: John Lawrence, Dirk Maier and Richard Stroshine

2013 Intellectual Property Disclosures: “Granule Swelling and Starch Saccharification,” Y. C. Shi and Z. Li

“Resins from Plant Oils and Their Derivatives and Applications,” X. S. Sun, Y. Li and D. Wang

“Gums from Camenlina Seeds Coat and Meals,” D. Wang, X.S. Sun, N. Li and G. Qi

Department of Grain Science & Industry, Classified Employee of the Year: Beverly McGee

2014 Classified Employee Meritorious Service Award: Anita McDiffett

Classified Senate President: Jan Taggart

Dr. Evangelina Villegas Excellence in Post Doctoral Research Award: Jhinuk Gupta